Tasers...Maybe Not So Safe After All
The CBC and Radio Canada have run a bunch of Taser tests recently, and the results aren't likely to reassure anyone. US-based testing lab National Technical Systems pulled 41 X26 units out of 7 random police stations across the nation, and fired each at least six times. What happened? Well, four of them threw off a current "significantly" higher than a stun gun is supposed to, including some that were 50 percent higher than normal, while three didn't fire at all. All the faulty units were manufactured pre-2005, but the company that makes them (which makes almost all US police employed stun guns), couldn't provide someone for the CBC to interview, so no one seems to be sure of the cause. Of course, it goes a long way toward explaining why so many people need to head to the hospital after getting a taste of the taser. Not cool guys, not cool. [Thanks, Tony A.]





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Comments
2
Subscribe to commentsTedlyWDec 8th 2008 8:32AM
Still, ask any bad guy if he'd rather be shot by a handgun or one of those taser or one of those not-quite-so safe taser things. -- The taser is, after all a weapon. Make it completely safe for the bad guy and it's not a weapon any more. My bigger concern is for the safety of the officer and the public.
BlackoutTSIDec 8th 2008 11:22AM
A pistol throws off lethal doses of lead...rather have the stun gun.
In reality though teasers produce minimal amounts of current. were talking 22 to 133 miliamps. OSHA says death is possible in this range. But, importantly the length of time needs to be considered. When people are electrocuted with amps in this range, they typically cannot let go of the wire or object because of muscle contractions.
Most tazer events last possibly a few seconds if that.
Voltage is meaningless for the most part, static shocks can register in the 1000 to 10,000 volt range